Ukraine has launched a devastating new wave of drone attacks targeting Russian oil infrastructure, setting fire to multiple facilities and igniting two oil tankers in the Sea of Azov on Thursday. The strikes come just one day after President Donald Trump announced Washington would grant Kyiv the license to manufacture Patriot air defense systems on Ukrainian soil.
The coordinated attacks struck oil depots in the western Russian city of Tver and in the Stavropol region, forcing evacuations of nearby residential buildings. Meanwhile, in the Sea of Azov, two oil tankers were engulfed in flames, with one vessel still burning as crews were rushed to safety. These maritime strikes are part of Ukraine’s strategic campaign to cut off fuel supplies to Crimea, the peninsula Russia illegally seized in 2014.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy characterized the operations as “long-range sanctions” designed to bring the reality of war home to Russia. The ongoing drone campaign has already triggered widespread fuel shortages across multiple Russian regions, with motorists waiting hours at gas stations as rationing takes effect. In response, Moscow has escalated its bombardment of Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities with ballistic missiles.
While Trump’s offer to license Patriot production marks a significant diplomatic shift, Ukrainian officials are tempering expectations. Defense ministry adviser Serhii Beskrestnov warned that establishing domestic manufacturing could take a year or more, citing supply chain challenges and the lengthy production cycles for specialized components from contractors including Boeing and L3Harris. Despite these hurdles, the Kremlin acknowledged Trump’s peace efforts while criticizing what it called Washington’s “ambivalence” on the broader conflict.
